MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Coca-Cola Company reported fourth quarter and full-year 2014 operating results, said the company in its press release.
Comparable currency neutral net revenues (structurally adjusted) grew 4% in the quarter driven by positive price/mix and the impact of one additional selling day. We delivered favorable price/mix of 2 points, after adjusting for items impacting comparability, primarily attributable to 4 points of positive price/mix in North America driven by our continued rational approach to pricing and supported by incremental media investments and improving
commercial execution.
Comparable currency neutral operating income (structurally adjusted) grew 7% in the quarter driven by comparable currency neutral net revenue (structurally adjusted) growth, a slight benefit from commodity costs and efficient management of operating expenses, partially offset by continued investments in our brands including a double-digit increase in media investments. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a 7 point headwind
on comparable operating income growth during the quarter.
The reported effective tax rates for the quarter and full year were 28.3% and 23.6%, respectively. The underlying annual effective tax rate was 22.5% for the quarter and full year. The variance between the reported rates and the underlying rate was due to the tax effect of various items impacting comparability, separately disclosed in the Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures schedule. The underlying effective tax rate does
not reflect the impact of significant or unusual items and discrete events, which, if and when they occur, are separately recognized in the appropriate period.
Reported EPS was USD0.17 and comparable EPS was USD0.44 for the quarter. Items impacting comparability reduced reported EPS by a net USD0.27 and were primarily related to the impact of changing the exchange rate used to remeasure our Venezuelan subsidiary’s net monetary assets into U.S. dollars, a write-down on concentrate sales receivables from our bottling partner in Venezuela, noncash charges related to refranchising certain territories in North America and costs associated with our previously announced productivity program. Foreign currency was a 10 point headwind on comparable EPS growth during the quarter.
Full-year cash from operations was USD10.6 billion, up 1%, primarily due to the efficient management of working capital and cycling incremental pension contributions last year, partially offset by an unfavorable impact from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and the deconsolidation of the Company’s Brazilian bottling operations in July 2013. Full-year net share repurchases totaled USD2.6 billion.
As MRC wrote before, Coca-Cola Enterprises will invest EUR6.5 million in its joint venture with PET recycler APPE to expand a recycling facility in Beaune, France. According to Coca-Cola, the investment will boost the capacity of the plastics reprocessing facility by 70% and enable it to recycle 20,000 additional tonnes of plastic into food-grade packaging per year.
MRC